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Phobia Review

'Phobia': Real and Palpable (IANS Movie Review)
Rating: ***1/2

'Phobia' is a psychological thriller about Mehak Deo (Radhika
Apte) an artist, who, owing to an untoward incident, starts suffering from Agoraphobia
- a fear of open public spaces - and thus cannot step out of the house and remains
indoors, which later manifests itself into panic attacks and paranormal delusions.

How she is consumed by the fear of actual and anticipated situations
which permeates her whole being and her struggle to cope with it, forms the
crux of this film.

Radhika, who essays Mehak brilliantly, portrayed a gamut of
emotions with ease and conviction. She almost carries the film squarely on her
shoulders. Her fears and how she deals with imaginary situations, are real and
palpable, making you sit on the edge of your seat. She matches the physical
appearance of her inner mind, looking harried and unkempt, without an iota of
glamour.

She is ably supported by Satyadeep Mishra who plays Shaan,
her friend and support system with sincerity and confidence.

Nivedita Bhattacharya, an otherwise competent actor, is wasted
in a miniscule role of her sister.

Yashaswani Dayama, renders a fun and energetic performance
and captivates you in her limited screen time as Nikki, Mehak's neighbour and
friend.

Director Pawan Kriplani, who has earlier given "Ragini
MMS" obviously knows how to hook his audience. Here too, he successfully
creates the setting and mood for a subject like this, making the phobia on screen
translate into his audience.

Nowhere does he deviate from the actual plot and manages to
keep the audience riveted to the screen, anticipating what will happen next,
thanks to the water-tight screenplay. There is something exceedingly believable
about the film and its characters.

The jump scares, heightened by the background score, amplifies
the viewing experience, making you squirm in fright. Of course some of the frightening
elements seem exaggerated and uncalled for, but don't seem too jarring or incongruous.
The mode of narration making use of flash backs, appears confusing at times.

All possible tropes atypical of this genre - camera angles,
background score, lighting, are successfully used to create the perfect atmosphere
which spooks you sufficiently.

With decent production values and completely devoid of entertainment
and commercial cinema trappings, Phobia succeeds in engaging you, significantly.